Mid-Unit Quiz

A drought has resulted in less available grass for grazing animals. Which of the following is not a likely response for the animal population?

• To find another food source

• To eat rabbits and other small animals

• To move to a different location

• To begin to die off

Which of the following is a true statement?

• Tornados primarily occur in the thermosphere layer of the atmosphere.

• Earthquakes primarily occur as a result of shifting plates in the lower mantle.

• Hurricanes primarily occur in the troposphere many states inland.

• Drought is usually caused by lack of activity in the troposphere.

Which of the following can cause an earthquake?

• Animal behavior

• Movements of plates on the earth’s surface

• Melting of snow

• Electrical problems

Which of the following can cause a tsunami? Circle all that apply.

• Earthquake

• Volcanic activity

• Hurricane

• Landslide

True or False: People frequently experience hurricanes in California, Florida, and Nebraska.

Explain your answer.

Answer explanation

False.

Hurricanes only occur over warm waters. Nebraska is not near an ocean and California is near cold water.

A powerful tornado comes through a plains ecosystem. Which of the following is a likely effect of the tornado on the plains ecosystem?

• Strong winds could harm a population of prairie dogs.
• Flying debris could harm a population of bison.
• Lightning could harm a population of earthworms.
• Falling rain could harm a population of trees.

A population of ground squirrels lives in underground burrows several miles from an ocean shore. If a hurricane strikes the shore, which effect of the hurricane would probably do the most damage to the squirrel population?

• Lightning
• Flooding
• Thunder
• High winds

What impact does a tornado have on an ecosystem?

• It can uproot trees, wipe out vegetation and animals, and destroy everything else in its path
• The land becomes saturated and cannot absorb water fast enough
• Large amounts of salt water mix with fresh water, killing huge amounts of fish
• Mud and soil is deposited in different areas, trapping animals and plants underneath

What negative impact can a flood have on an ecosystem?

• It kills large amounts of fish and other aquatic animals
• Barriers islands experience large amounts of erosion
• Plants and animals are washed away by fast moving water, and mud and soil are deposited in different areas
• Trees are uprooted and replanted upstream

In the past, American cities emptied their sewage into rivers and other bodies of water. This caused the bodies of water to be polluted and filled with microorganisms that could cause human diseases. Which of the following catastrophic events would increase the risk of water contamination to all freshwater in an area?

• Flood
• Earthquake
• Drought
• Landslide